Scientists working independently in Japan (1924) and Austria (1927) devise the "Rhythm Method" of birth control. Harvard does not grant Pincus tenure. 1984 August 22: In the prime of his career, Gregory Pincus dies in a Boston hospital at age of 64 from myeloid metaplasia, a rare disease of the white blood cells, due to exposure to lab chemicals. The FDA reports that 10.7 million American women are on the Pill. 1936 The case found that denying access to unmarried people was discriminatory and a violation of the constitution's Equal Protection Clause. This timeline begins that year and ends 100 years later in 2014, as 99 percent of sexually active women report using at least one form of birth control at some point in their lives. 1921 If you think pausing for a condom kills the mood, you should try rubbing crocodile dung on your cervix. 1959 1934 1964 Together with a former colleague from his Harvard days, Gregory Pincus founds a small, private laboratory in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, to pursue research away from the politics and restraints of academia. Longstanding techniques included the rhythm method, withdrawal, diaphragms, contraceptive sponges, condoms, prolonged breastfeeding, and spermicides. Women can take Preven pills up to 72 hours after sex to prevent pregnancy. The syringe method will remain in popular use for the next 40 years. The Ebers Papyrus from 1550 BC and the Kahun Papyrus from 1850 BC have within them some of the earliest documented descriptions of birth control, the use of honey, acacia leaves and lint to be placed in the vagina to block sperm. 1942 The American Birth Control League changes its name to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. 1952 She comes out of retirement because of the alarm over population growth around the world. Birth control and abortion are well documented in Ancient Egypt. Confidence in the safety of the pill has risen dramatically in the years since the Pill hearings. Just 15 years after President Eisenhower declared that birth control is not the government's business, the government supports birth control clinics in 2,379 of the nation's 3,099 counties. A timeline of women's rights from 1769 to the 2017 Women's March on Washington. 2000-2002 Four new birth control products are approved by the FDA - the first in a decade. Check out important milestones in the fight for birth control access in the timeline below and at Planned Parenthood's centennial celebration website: 100years.plannedparenthood.org. Since 1960, when the FDA approved the pill as a contraceptive, reproductive health supporters have spent decades trying to make birth control more accessible and affordable. 1956 1725-1798 Fearing his disease is hereditary, McCormick vows never to have children and develops a staunch belief in the value of contraception. 1918 Reed, James. 1890 In the book of Genesis men are called upon to practice coitus interruptus, commonly known as the "withdrawal" method. Only 3.4% of birth control pills on the market are the original high-dosage pills. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is established to protect consumers from fraudulent medical products and quackery. The actual chemistry of the Pill has been invented, but neither Djerassi nor the company he works for, Syntex, has any interest in testing it as a contraceptive. fbq('init', '271837786641409'); An FDA task force looks into the issue of side effects from the Pill, especially the danger of blood clots, cancer and diabetes. With 1.2 million American women on the Pill, Searle's corner on the Pill market comes to an end. The organization, deciding his work is too risky, decides not to continue funding his research. September 1: Word of serious side effects, such as blood clots and heart attacks caused by the Pill, begins to spread. Searle's director of research tells Pincus that his previous work for them was "a lamentable failure" and refuses to invest in the project. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund works to advance access to sexual health care and defend reproductive rights. Infographic, Katharine McCormick, after majoring in biology, becomes one of the first women to graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in science. August: The Nineteenth Amendment is ratified, giving women the right to vote. Organized religions such as the Roman Catholic Church stood firm on their principles that artificial contraceptives were sinful. Unionisation was difficult, especially as cleaning work was increasingly privatised during the 1970s. December: It is still a crime to use birth control in Connecticut. Birth Control. 1943 1974 The number of users reaches 10 million. Previously, the only option approved by Rome was abstinence. 1950 Is it safe? Due to massive improvements over the past decade in condom quality and a growing awareness of the inadequacies of douches, "rubbers" are the most popular form of birth control on the market. 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